Dental handpiece

ABSTRACT

A dental handpiece having an air turbine drive for the drill bit and a water jet stream for cooling the operating area, including fiber optics means for directing light upon the dental work area, and including a light source for the fiber optics incorporated into the dental handpiece. The air and water systems are utilized to absorb heat generated in the handpiece by the light source.



1. A dental hand drill comprising a turbine for rotating a dental burr, air pressure means for driving said turbine in said hand tool, water pressure means in said hand tool for projecting a stream of water in the area where the dental burr operates, a bundle of fiber optics on said hand tool, the exit end of said fiber optics being arrayed to project a beam of light upon the area where the drill bit operates, a chamber in said hand tool, said air pressure means circulating in said chamber prior to transmission thereof towards said turbine, a light source in said chamber, said light source being located close to the inlet end of said fiber optics bundle, a tubular coil in said chamber surrounding said light source and said inlet portion of said fiber optics bundle, said water means flowing through said tubular coil prior to emerging as said stream from said hand tool.
 2. A dental hand tool including air pressure means for driving a turbine therein and water pressure means for projecting a stream of water onto the area where the dental burr operates, comprising a bundle of elongated fiber optics on said hand tool, the exit end of said fiber optics being arrayed to project a beam of light upon said operating area, a chamber in said hand tool, a light source in said chamber, the inlet end of said fiber optics bundle being located in said chamber and opposite said light source, said water means and said air means passing through said chamber to cool said light source.
 3. A dental hand tool comprising a first channel for transmitting air under pressure to drive the dental drill turbine, a second channel transmitting water under pressure to project a stream thereof onto the area where the dental burr operates, a bundle of elongated fiber optics on said hand tool, the exit end of said fiber optics being arrayed to project a beam of light upon said operating area, a chamber in said hand tool intermediate the ends thereof, a light source in said chamber, the inlet end of said fiber optics bundle being located in said chamber and opposite said light source, said air passing through said chamber, and a coiled tube surrounding said light source and said inlet end of said fiber optics bundle, said tube being connected in the line of said water channel.
 4. A dental hand tool comprising a hand piece, a turbine drive on the end of said hand piece for rotating a drill bit, air transport means in said hand piece for driving said turbine, water transport means in said hand piece for projecting a stream of water onto the area where the drill bit operates, fiber optics means on said hand piece, the output end of said fiber optics means being arrayed to project a beam of light upon said operating area, a light source on said hand piece located near the input end of said fiber optics, at least one of said air and water transport means passing in the region of said light source for absorbing the heat generated thereby and transmitting it away from the input end of said fiber optics means.
 5. A tool according to claim 4 and further comprising a chamber intermediate the ends of said hand piece, the input end of said fiber optics means and said light source being located within said chamber, and said air and water pressure means passing through said chamber.
 6. A tool according to claim 5 and further comprising first means for adjusting and setting the location of the input end of said fiber optics means within said chamber and second means for adjusting and setting the location of said light source within said chamber, said first and second means being operated to determine the desired spacing between said input end of said fiber optics means and said light bulb.
 7. A tool according to claim 5 in which the enclosure of said chamber is made of a material which renders the light source and input end of said fiber optics means visible from outside said chamber.
 8. A tool according to claim 6 in which said first and second means are located externally of said chamber.
 9. A tool according to claim 5 wherein said air transport means causes the circulation of air within said chamber for cooling said light source.
 10. A tool according to claim 5 wherein said water transfer means passes through said chamber in the form of a coil surrounding said light source to cool the latter.
 11. A tool according to claim 4 and further comprising a heat shield interposed between said light source and the input end of said fiber optics means.
 12. A tool according to claim 4 wherein said fiber optics means is connected externally to said hand piece.
 13. A tool according to claim 4 and further comprising an elongated channel in said hand piece, the major portion of said fiber optics means extending through said channel.
 14. A tool according to claim 13 and further comprising a prism in said hand piece located adjacent the output end of said fiber optics means, said prism deflecting the light beam from said fiber optics means to the desired location where the drill bit operates.
 15. A tool according to claim 4 and further comprising confining means for rendering said fiber optics means immobile on said hand piece.
 16. A tool according to claim 15 wherein said fiber optics means is arrayed along the exterior of said hand piece and said confining means comprises at least one encircling means enclosing both said fiber optics means and said handpiece to secure said elements together.
 17. A tool according to claim 15 wherein said confining means comprises an elongated channel in the interior of said handpiece through which a major portion of said fiber optics means extends. 